Deck 13: Fossil Fuels: Energy of the Industrial Age

Question 1

Which statement correctly describes fossil fuels?

A) Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas.
B) Fossil fuels formed from living organisms from earlier geologic eras.
C) Fossil fuels account for more than 80% of global energy usage today.
D) All of these are correct.

Answer 1

All of these are correct.

Question 2

Select the energy source that is correctly paired with its state of matter.

A) oil; liquid
B) coal; gas
C) methane; solid
D) All of these are correct.

Answer 2

oil; liquid

Question 3

Hydraulic fracturing uses water and chemicals under high pressure to fracture layers of rock that contain oil or natural gas. This relatively new technology increased the accessibility of that were historically viewed as not worth the effort to mine.

A) renewable resources
B) unconventional reserves
C) biofuels
D) conventional reserves

Answer 3

unconventional reserves

Question 4

Select the fossil fuel that formed when the energy stored in the dead bodies of aquatic microscopic organisms transformed into a liquid deposit.

A) oil
B) coal
C) natural gas
D) None of these are correct.

Question 5

What are oil reserves?

A) stores of oil that are made available when current supplies fail to meet demand
B) known deposits of oil that can be technically accessed at current market prices
C) protected areas that are rich in oil deposits but are not made available for mining
D) all of the oil that could be potentially recovered regardless of the cost involved

Question 6

Which statement correctly describes hydrocarbons?

A) Hydrocarbons consist entirely of carbon and hydrogen molecules.
B) Hydrocarbons form naturally when bacteria decomposes dead matter.
C) Hydrocarbons can be liquids or solids, such as oil and coal, but not gases.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 7

Which phrase describes conventional reserves?

A) deposits of fossil fuels that are difficult to extract
B) fossil fuel deposits that are yet to be discovered
C) deposits of fossil fuels that are easily obtained
D) fossil fuel seams that are derived from living things

Question 8

Biofuels are derived from

A) ancient organisms.
B) the Sun.
C) hydrocarbons.
D) living things.

Question 9

Select the example of a biofuel.

A) petroleum
B) natural gas
C) charcoal
D) None of these are correct.

Question 10

Select the scenario in which the relative productivity would increase.

A) The amount of inputs grows faster than the level of output.
B) The environmental impact decreases as the level of output increases.
C) The level of output grows faster than the amount of inputs.
D) The overall value of the output to society increases.

Question 11

Which environmental impact would MOST likely result from extensive use of biofuels?

A) deforestation
B) acid rain
C) toxic wastewater
D) subsidence

Question 12

What is an inferior good?

A) a thing that can't be profitably produced because it's difficult to exclude nonpaying customers from receiving the benefits
B) a source of energy that is technically difficult to harness and therefore less profitable
C) an item that is manufactured using a technology with relative low productivity
D) something that is consumed because people cannot afford what they prefer

Question 13

Select the example that best matches the definition of an inferior good.

A) organic bananas
B) name-brand clothing
C) instant noodles
D) street lighting

Question 14

Select the example of the Jevons paradox.

A) Countries with the largest fossil fuel reserves tend to provide fewer public goods and invest less in new energy technologies compared to countries with fewer resources.
B) The increased energy efficiency of hybrid vehicles does not translate into additional miles driven because consumer behavior is influenced more by daily routine than cost.
C) LED lighting is cheaper to operate than traditional bulbs; however, this savings leads to increased usage of LED lighting and greater overall energy consumption.
D) As the cost of an inferior good rises, so does the consumption of that inferior good because preferable options become even less affordable.

Question 15

Select the description of a public good.

A) a thing that cannot be profitably produced because it is difficult to exclude nonpaying customers from receiving the benefit
B) a product that is consumed only because people cannot afford what they actually prefer
C) a newly developed energy source that has the potential to make up a large portion of a country's energy portfolio
D) a government benefit such as a tax credit that reduces energy costs for lower income people

Question 16

In the United States, the federal government has encouraged the development of carbon capture and storage technology through hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to private companies. This is an example of a(n)

A) inferior good.
B) stranded asset.
C) public good.
D) carbon tax.

Question 17

Which statement correctly describes coal reserves or consumption in the United States?

A) The United States uses coal more than any other fuel to produce electricity.
B) The United States has the largest recoverable reserves of coal in the world
C) The United States accounts for half of the world's total coal consumption.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 18

In the mountaintop removal process, an entire mountaintop is removed to extract which fossil fuel?

A) oil
B) natural gas
C) coal
D) All of these are correct.

Question 19

Select the statement that correctly describes an outcome associated with extraction.

A) Underground coal mining has been made safer for workers compared to mountaintop removal.
B) Land subsidence from mountaintop removal alters the landscape dramatically.
C) Coal mines contribute 10% of methane emissions in the United States.
D) Surface mines are now less common than underground mines for coal extraction.

Question 20

Which of these energy sources is the MOST consumed fuel in the world?

A) natural gas
B) oil
C) coal
D) solar

Question 21

At current levels of global production and consumption, world oil reserves are predicted to last approximately how many years?

A) 5
B) 50
C) 500
D) 5,000

Question 22

Which of the choices correctly describes tar sands?

A) Tar sands are deposits of oil bonded with loose-grained rock.
B) Tar sands are the fastest-growing energy source produced and consumed
C) Tar sands require less energy to extract than conventional oil sources.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 23

Which of these choices is a drawback of using natural gas compared to other fossil fuels?

A) Generation of electricity by natural gas produces 30% more CO₂ than that by use of oil.
B) Current natural gas-fired power plants are about half as efficient as a typical coal plant.
C) Natural gas requires pipelines across long distances and gas lines directly into homes.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 24

Select the policy response that directly sets a price on carbon emissions in order to encourage energy conservation.

A) pollution exchange
B) carbon tax
C) cap and trade
D) carbon capture

Question 25

Which policy response sets an allowable emissions standard and then creates a market for pollution allowances?

A) cap and trade
B) carbon capture
C) carbon tax
D) clean coal subsidy

Question 26

Which of the choices correctly describes a cap-and-trade policy, but not a carbon tax policy?

A) The policy is designed to phase out fossil fuels and develop alternative energy resources.
B) The policy may result in displacement of people that are dependent on fossil fuel industries.
C) The policy is a market mechanism that creates an incentive for firms to reduce pollution.
D) The policy requires power plants and vehicles to use emissions-reduction technologies.

Question 27

Select the statement that correctly characterizes enhanced oil recovery.

A) Water is pumped at high pressure into a well to fracture rock and release oil.
B) Steam and direct heat are applied to separate oil from loose-grained rock in tar sands.
C) Offshore drilling sites allow water to naturally enter the well and displace oil upward.
D) Condensed CO₂ is pumped underground as a way to force more oil out of wells.

Question 28

Which of these statements correctly describes carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology?

A) CCS is a process that diverts CO₂ from exhaust and injects it underground.
B) CCS is currently in high demand in the United States because of carbon taxes and other policies.
C) CCS is an attractive alternative to the more expensive hydraulic fracturing technology.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 29

Choose the product that contains components that are derived from petroleum.

A) pantyhose
B) crayons
C) toothpaste
D) All of these are correct.

Question 30

Describe how oil, natural gas, and coal form. Why are these fossil fuels considered to be nonrenewable resources?

Question 31

Describe some of the economic forces and government actions in England that facilitated the energy transition from wood to coal as the dominant energy source.

Question 32

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using each type of fossil fuel: coal, oil, and natural gas?

Question 33

The municipal coal-burning power plant for your city is concerned about the future costs associated with carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission policies. Explain how carbon taxation and cap-and-trade policies are each designed to reduce CO₂ emissions. To which readily available fossil fuel could this power plant switch in order to decrease CO₂ emissions and their anticipated costs?

Question 34

Fossil fuel reserves are finite, and the extraction and combustion of these energy sources cause significant environmental damage. However, the transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar will take considerable time. Consider the ways in which your lifestyle requires oil, natural gas, and coal for transportation, electricity production, heating, cooking, and the many petroleum-based products that you consume. List at least five realistic and concrete actions you can you take to reduce your consumption of fossil fuel energy, thereby helping to prolong the supply of fossil fuels and to lessen the negative impacts of their use.